The new report by the Homeland Security Department's office of inspector general examines the propriety of 36 trailer contracts designated for small and local businesses in the stricken Gulf Coast region following the 2005 storm.

It found a haphazard competitive bidding process in which the winning contract prices were both unreasonably low and high. Moreover, FEMA did not take adequate legal steps to ensure that companies were small and locally operated, resulting in a questionable contract award to a large firm with ties to the Republican Party.

U.S. military deaths in Iraq at 3,322 Sunday

As of Sunday, at least 3,322 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. The figure includes seven military civilians. At least 2,691 died as a result of hostile action, according to the military's numbers. The AP count is 11 higher than the Defense Department's tally.

Millender-McDonald, who was 68, died at her home in Carson, Calif., said her chief of staff, Bandele McQueen.

McQueen could provide no details on what form of cancer Millender-McDonald had.

She was in her seventh term representing a heavily Democratic Southern California district that includes Compton, Long Beach and parts of Los Angeles.

Tornado wrecks farm homes in western Nebraska

OMAHA, Neb. -- A tornado ripped up farmsteads in western Nebraska and injured several people as thunderstorms rippled across the Plains.

The twister that struck late Friday spread debris along a path that was up to a half-mile wide in places, the Frontier County sheriff's office said Saturday.

In neighboring Dawson County, it followed a course about 18 miles long and came within a mile of Gothenburg, a city of about 4,000, said weather service meteorologist Scott Bryant in Hastings.

The twister was 3/4 of a mile to a mile in width, said weather service meteorologist Corey King.

Teen wins $25,000 prize in text-messaging contest

NEW YORK -- Thirteen-year-old Morgan Pozgar, of Claysburg, Pa., was crowned LG National Texting champion on Saturday after she typed "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" from "Mary Poppins" in 15 seconds.

"I'm going to go shopping and buy lots of clothes," the teen said after winning her $25,000 prize from the electronics company LG.

Morgan defeated nearly 200 other competitors at the Roseland Ballroom in Manhattan to become East Coast champion and then beat West Coast champion Eli Tirosh, 21, of Los Angeles.

She estimated that she sends more than 8,000 text messages a month to her friends and family.